The IIHF and PWHL worked to move the women's World Championships to November to avoid the PWHL's calendar, but the roster, and educational impact, was shifted to the NCAA.
Shifting the IIHF women's World Championships from April to November also shifts a roster impact onto NCAA programs, and puts academic stress on athletes.
The move to November was made to limit the impact felt by PWHL teams, but the roster impact removing the best not only from their rosters, but their classes, will now be shifted to NCAA players. The tournament this year will take place from November 6-16 in Denmark.
The NCAA knew this was coming and most have
Last year a November tournament would have had significant impact on USA's top players. This year, that's unlikely as USA's best are in the PWHL. The lone exceptions are likely to be Joy Dunne (Ohio State) and Ava McNaughton (Wisconsin). But many other nations will see their athletes pulled in new directions due to the shift in the international calendar.
From Team Czechia, it will result in the Michaela Hesová (Dartmouth), Andrea Trnková (Clarkson), Barbora Juříčková (St. Lawrence), Tereza Plosová (Minnesota), Adela Sapovalivova (Wisconsin), and Linda Vocetková (Colgate) being pulled from their rosters and schooling for the tournament. The group of six represented Czechia at the 2026 Olympic.
Team Finland could see Emilia Kyrkkö (St. Cloud), Siiri Yrjölä (St. Cloud), Julia Schalin (Minnesota), and Sanni Vanhanen (Ohio State) from the NCAA. There are several other NCAA players who have represented Finland internationally before as well including Sofianna Sundelin (St. Cloud), Pauliina Salonen (Minnesota-Duluth), Sofia Nuutinen (Mercyhurst), and Tuuli Tallinen (Minnesota-Duluth), any of whom could get the call for the November tournament.
While Team Sweden will almost certainly bring Mira Jungåker (Ohio State), Ida Karlsson (Minnesota-Duluth), Jenna Raunio (Ohio State), Nicole Hall (Penn State), and Hilda Svensson (Ohio State). It's a number that could grow if Sweden were to enlist a netminder like Felicia Frank (Quinnipiac) or Lisa Jönsson (Northeastern)
Other nations, like Team Switzerland with Alessia Baechler (Northeastern), Ivana Wey (Northeastern), Naemi Herzig (Holy Cross), Laura Zimmerman (St. Cloud), and U SPORTS forward Vanessa Schaefer (British Columbia) will also feel the pull.
Almost every nation at the tournament will be pulling players from North American collegiate hockey. This year, that might also include Canada who will likely give longer looks to Caitlin Kraemer (Minnesota-Duluth), Chloe Primerano (Minnesota), and Eve Gascon (Minnesota-Duluth) among others.
For the national programs, there's a benefit in bringing NCAA players who will be in sharper condition than PWHL players who for the most part have gone six months without regular competition. By the time the November World Championships take place, most European national team members will have competed in Women's Euro Hockey Tour games, and Canada and USA are likely to have competed in Rivalry Series action, but only those from the NCAA and European leagues will enter nearing midseason form.
Unlike European leagues, who will take an international break in their schedule during the World Championship, the NCAA will not break their calendar.
Not all programs will be impacted equally. This year Ohio State looks like they'll face the most significant shock to their roster losing, at the very least, Dunne, Svensson, Vanhanen, Jungåker, Raunio. Minnesota, Minnesota-Duluth, and Northeastern are other programs that will take heavy losses. Luckily for Ohio State and Minnesota-Duluth, they only play two games during the World Championship schedule, and both are against each other. The WCHA as a whole built in a break to their schedule, but other conferences, like the heavily represented ECAC, did not.
The PWHL successfully avoided their schedule with the shift in the international calendar, but they passed the impact not only to collegiate athletes, but students facing exams as they finish their Fall semester across the NCAA
